Wrench.



Patented Dec. 23, I902. c. c. LONGARD.

WRENCH.

fil

(No Model.)

U TTEn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE C. LONGARD, OF HALIFAX, CANADA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,564, dated December 23, 1902- Applioation filed April 18, 1902. Serial No. 103,571. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE C. LONGARD, a citizen of Canada, residing at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of wrenches which embody a flexible grasping member; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageous construction hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved wrench as it appears when in use; Fig. 2, a detail perspective view illustrative of the jaw on the handle; Figs. 3 and 4:, transverse sections taken on the broken lines 3 3 and 44, respectively, of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5, disconnected perspective views of the gripping block or dog of the wrench, and the cotter-pin for securing said block or dog in its proper position in the handle-jaw.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views of the drawings, referring to which A is the wrench-handle, having teeth a at one side or edge and a jaw b extending laterally from its forward end. The said jaw is provided with a bifurcation o, the inner wall d of which is preferably disposed at an angle to the main portion of the handle, as shown, and is also provided in its face or forward side with a recess 6. This latter is designed to seat the toothed gripping block or dog B, preferably of steel, which has a shankfdisposed in the bifurcation o and on the wall d thereof and is removably secured in the jaw by a cotter-pin g,resting in a transverse aperture 71 in the shank or other suitable means. By virtue of this construction it will be seen that the gripping block or dog is effectually prevented from slipping back while the wrench is in use, and yet may be readily removed and replaced with a new block or dog when necessity demands.

C is the flexible grasping member of the wrench, which is preferably composed of links 5 and is pivotally connected to the jawb at 3', D a slide which is mounted on the handle and extends beyond the toothed edge or side thereof, and E a detent arranged between and pivotally connected to and extending forwardly and rearwardly from the extended sides of the slide D'and having the forward portion of its side adjacent to the teeth a provided with complementary teeth 7t and also having a hook Zon its forward portion. The rear portion m of the detent i. e., the portion which extends rearwardly from the sides of the slide D-constitutes a thumb-piece calculated to enable the user of the wrench to quickly and easily release the grasping member C and facilitate manipulation or adjustment thereof.

F is a spring, preferably of steel, which is disposed in the bifurcation c of the jaw 17 and connected to the jaw at n and is arranged to engage a pipe or other article in the grasping member after the manner shown in Fig. 1. i

This spring assists the pipe or other article to be turned in assuming the best position on the gripping block or dog B, as shown in Fig. 1, with the result that when the handle A is moved in the direction indicated by arrow the pipe will roll and bear against the face of the jaw 19. Incident to such rolling of the pipe the spring will be buried in the bifurcation c of jaw b, where it will remain while the pipe is gripped in the wrench.

In using the wrench the grasping member C is passed around the pipe G, and the outer end link 11 is placed in engagement with the hook Z of detent E, after which the operator, grasping the slide D, moves the same toward the right on handle A, and thereby draws the flexible grasping member or chain snug about the pipe. At this time the spring F assists the pipe in assuming the position shown in Fig. 1 with reference to the gripping block or dog. When the slide D is moved toward the right on the handle, as stated, the detent E by reason of its pivotal connection to the slide will ride freely over the teeth of the handle, and hence not interfere with such movement. When, however, the handle is moved in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 1 to roll and grip the pipe between the grasping member C and the face of jaw 19, as before described, the toothed side of the detent E will be drawn into engagement with the teeth of the handle after the manner shown in said figure, the handle will be snugly held between said toothed side of the hook and the transverse portion of the slide, and the slide will be held against rocking on the handle, with the result that slipping of the detent or slide so long as force is applied to the handle in the direction stated will be preeluded.

When it is desired to disengage the detent from the handle, and thereby release the grasping member 0, the user of the wrench has but to press the thumb-piece m of the detent toward the handle.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to such specific construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall Within the scope of my claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A pipe wrench comprising a handle toothed at one edge, a bifurcated pipe-engaging member or jaw at one end of said handle, provided in its face or forward side with a recess, a toothed gripping block or dog seated in said recess, and havinga shank extending through the bifurcation of the member or jaw, means at the back of the member or jaw engaging the shank, and securing the block or dog in its seat, a slide mounted on the handle, a detent pivotally connected at an intermediate point of its length to the slide, and having the rear portion or thumbpiece, and a toothed edge or side on its forward portion arranged to engage the toothed edge of the handle, and also having a hook on said forward portion, a flexible pipe-grasp ing member connected with the handle, and having a connection adapted to be placed in engagement with the hook of the detent on the slide, and a springconnected to the member or jaw on the handle, in the bifurcation of said member or jaw, and arranged to engage a pipe in the flexible member.

2. A pipe-wrench comprising a handle, a bifurcated jaw on the handle, provided in its face or forward side with a recess, a toothed gripping block or dog seated in said recess and having a shank extending through the bifurcation of the jaw, means at the back of the jaw engaging the shank and securing the block or dog in its seat, a flexible pipe-grasping member connected at one end to the handle, means for connecting the other end of the flexible member to the handle, and a spring connected to the jaw in the bifurcation thereof, and at a point between the flexible member and the gripping block or dog, and arranged to engage a pipe in the flexible member.

3. Apipe-wrench comprisinga handle having a pipe-engaging member at one end, a flexible pipe-grasping member connected at one end to the handle, means for connecting the other end of the flexible member to the handle, and a spring connected to the pipeengaging member on the handle and arranged to engage a pipe in the grasping member.

4. In a wrench, the combination with a handle, a bifurcated jaw thereon having gripping means on its face or forward side, a flexible grasping member connected at one end to the bifurcated jaw, means for connecting the opposite end of the flexible member and the handle, and a spring connected to the jaw in the bifurcation thereof, and arranged to engage a pipe in the flexible member.

5. A pipe wrench comprising a. handle toothed at one edge, a bifurcated pipe-engaging jaw arranged at one end of the handle, and having gripping means on its face or forward side, a slide mounted on the handle, a detent pivotally connected to the slide and having a toothed edge or side on its forward portion arranged to engage the toothed edge of the handle, a flexible pipe-grasping member connected to the jaw, and adapted to be connected to the detent, and a spring connected to the jaw in the bifurcation thereof, and arranged to engage a pipe in the flexible member. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- DOSSGS.

CLARENCE G. LONGARD. Witnesses:

W. J. G. THOMSON, W. K. THOMSON. 

